At the other table, the Borins bid and made 6C after EW failed to get into the auction (difficult as that is to believe). Perhaps a 1D opening from North put West off? Or perhaps some start like 1NT Pass 3S? Here Tim began with the required ace and another diamond.

Well, I’m gobsmacked. I wrote the following before I posted the problem yesterday:

Is this too easy? Now leading aces against slams is automatically the first thing one looks at, but these were the days – Rio world championship – when such a lead was still a flash concept.

Yet not one starter for the ace!!! Is this really because you all thought it was a trick – the ace was so obvious you were going for the alternative? Or because you really did think, nah, not 3 ace leads in a row?

I’m pleased that it isn’t…of course, I’m not looking at these as problems. I was simply rather concerned that this was a rather old-fashioned idea of something unusual, leading the ace here, whereas it would seem from the comments here that this is not so at all.